Magnetic Resonance Image Sequence Influences the Relationship between Bone Marrow Lesions Volume and Pain: Data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative

Subchondral bone marrow lesions (BMLs) are related to structural and symptomatic osteoarthritis progression. However, it is unclear how sequence selection influences a quantitative BML measurement and its construct validity. We compared quantitative assessment of BMLs on intermediate-weighted fat suppressed (IW FS) turbo spin echo and 3-dimensional dual echo steady state (3D DESS) sequences. We used a customized software to measure 30 knees' (24- and 48-month MR images) BMLs on both sequences. The results showed that the IW FS sequences have much larger BML volumes (median: IW FS = 1840 mm(3); DESS = 191 mm(3)) and BML volume change (between 24 and 48 months) than DESS sequence and demonstrate more BML volume change. The 24-month BML volume on IW FS is correlated with BML volume on DESS (r s = 0.83). BML volume change on IW FS is not significantly correlated with change on DESS. The 24-month WOMAC pain is correlated with the 24-month BMLs on IW FS (r s = 0.39) but not DESS. The change in WOMAC pain is correlated with BML volume change on IW FS (r s = 0.37) but not DESS. Overall, BML quantification on IW FS offers better validity and statistical power than BML quantification on a 3D DESS sequence.